冷却塔 (lěng què tǎ) — cooling tower

Definition

noun
cooling tower
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 冷却塔。
    Zhè ge gōng chǎng jiàn le yí zuò xīn de lěng què tǎ.
    This factory built a new cooling tower.
  • 冷却塔。
    lěng què tǎ De zuò yòng shì bǎ rè shuǐ biàn liáng.
    The function of a cooling tower is to cool hot water.
  • 冷却塔。
    Fā diàn zhàn páng biān yǒu yí gè hěn dà de lěng què tǎ.
    There is a very large cooling tower next to the power station.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

冷却cool
冷lěngcool却quèaway
补充Verb + complement
塔tǎtower

冷却 (cool) describes the function of 塔 (tower), naming a tower that removes heat.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng冷lěng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

冷 uses 冫, the ice form, with 令 as a sound part, to mean cold as ice.

Open 冷 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 卻; 却 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
卩卩jié
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧮫
𧮫𧮫卻què
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 卻 uses 𧮫 for sound and 卩 for meaning; the simplified 却 is a shorthand.

Open 却 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
荅
荅dá塔tǎ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

塔 shows 土 (earth) for the meaning and 荅 (dá) for the sound.

Open 塔 →

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